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Argentine Air Force

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Argentine Air Force
Fuerza Aérea Argentina
File:Faa.gif
FAA emblem
Active1945–Present
CountryArgentina
Size14,600 personnel
243 aircraft
AnniversariesAugust 10 (anniversary)
May 1 (Fire baptism)
Battle honoursOperativo Independencia (1975) Falklands (Malvinas) (1982) [1]
Commanders
Chief of StaffBrigadier-General Normando Costantino
Insignia
Roundel
Aircraft flown
AttackPucará
FighterA-4AR, IAI Finger, Mirage 5A
InterceptorMirage IIIEA
TrainerT-34A, Tucano, Pampa
TransportC-130, Fokker F28, Fokker F27, DHC-6

The Argentine Air Force (Spanish: Fuerza Aérea Argentina, or simply FAA) is the national aviation branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic. As of 2010, it had 14,600 military personnel and 6,900 civilian personnel.[2]

History

FAA F-86 Sabre

The Air Force's history begins with the establishment of the Argentine Army Aviation's Escuela de Aviación Militar (Military Aviation School) on 10 August 1912. Several military officers were amongst the pioneers of Argentine aviation, including Jorge Newbery, a retired Argentine Navy officer. The School began to turn out military pilots who participated in milestone events in Argentine aviation, such as the crossing of the Andes mountains.

In 1927 the Dirección General de Aeronáutica (General Directorate of Aeronautics) was created to coordinate the country's military aviation. In that same year the Fábrica Militar de Aviones (Military Aircraft Factory, FMA), which would become the heart of the country's aviation industry, was founded in Córdoba.

By 1938-39 the Argentine air force had about 3,200 staff (including about 200 officers), and maintained about 230 aircraft. About 150 of these were operated by the army and included Dewoitine D.27 and Curtiss P-36 Hawk fighters; Breguet 19, Fairey III and Stearman 76 D1 reconnaissance planes; Northrop A-17, North American NA-16, Martin B-10 heavy combat craft, Focke-Wulf Fw 58 as multi-role planes, and Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra, Junkers Ju 52, Douglas Dolphin, Curtiss T-32 Condor II and Fairchild 82 transporters. About 80 were operated by the navy and included the Supermarine Southampton, Supermarine Walrus, Fairey Seal, and Vought Corsair variants, Consolidated P2Y, and Grumman J2F Duck.[3]

By the 1940s there were several air units in the Army and the Navy; the first step towards an independent force came on 11 February 1944 with the establishment of the Aeronautical Command, which would go on to become the Argentine Air Force on 4 January 1945, an independent force on par with the Army and the Navy.

Immediately after the end of World War II, in which the Argentine Air Force took no part, it began a process of modernization, incorporating aircraft such as the Gloster Meteor jet fighter, thus becoming the first air force in Latin America equipped with jet-propelled aircraft. In addition, a number of Avro Lincoln and Avro Lancaster bombers were acquired, creating a powerful strategic force in the region. The Air Force, with former Luftwaffe technicians, also began to develop its own aircraft, such as the Pulqui I and Pulqui II, making Argentina the first country in Latin America and the sixth in the world to develop jet fighter technology on its own.

In 1952 the Air Force began flight to supply the Antarctic scientific bases using ski-equipped C-47s [4] and establishing Marambio Base on 25 September 1969. On 11 April 1970 [5] they began landing C-130 Hercules aircraft, when the TC-61 commanded by Commodore Arturo Athos Gandolfi was the first airplane to land in Marambio,[6] and the Fokker F-28 Fellowship presidential aircraft T-01 Patagonia is reported to be the first jet to have landed at Marambio, on 28 July 1973.[7][8] and since the 1970s Twin Otters are also deployed.[9]

During the 1970s the Air Force re-equipped itself with modern aircraft, including Mirage III interceptors, IAI Dagger multi-role fighters (Israeli derivatives of the Mirage V), A-4 Skyhawk attack aircraft and C-130 Hercules cargo planes. Also, a counter-insurgency airplane, the Pucará, was used in substantial numbers.

File:FAA pilotos skyhawk.jpg
FAA A-4 Skyhawk pilots - May 1982

The Falklands War ( Spanish: Guerra de las Malvinas / Conflicto del Atlántico Sur ), took a great toll on the Air Force, which lost 60 aircraft. After the war, due to the deteriorating economic situation, international opposition and political distrust of the military, the Air Force was denied the resources needed to replace the war losses. This, coupled with diminishing budgets, led to a period of reduced activity and growing materiel obsolescence.

After the war Britain imposed an arms embargo on Argentina, which was discontinued in the 1990s. After attempts to acquire surplus IAI Kfirs or F-16As failed for economic and political reasons, the United States sold Argentina 36 A-4AR Fightinghawks, a refurbished and upgraded version of the A-4 Skyhawks used in the war.

The FAA has been greatly involved in United Nations peacekeeping missions around the world. They sent a Boeing 707 to the 1991 Gulf War. Since 1994 the UN Air contingent (UNFLIGHT) in Cyprus under UNFICYP mandate is provided by the FAA,[10] having achieved 10,000 flight hours by 2003 without any accidents.[11] The FAA has also since 2005 deployed Bell 212 helicopters to Haiti under MINUSTAH mandate.

Canberra preserved at Mar del Plata

In early 2005 the top seventeen brigadiers of the Air Force, including the Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Carlos Rohde, were sacked by President Néstor Kirchner following a scandal involving drug trafficking through Ezeiza International Airport. Kirchner cited failures in the security systems of Argentine airports (which were overseen by the National Aeronautic Police, a branch of the Air Force) and cover-ups of the scandal; it later became known that many government agencies, among them the Interior Ministry, the Customs Administration and the Secretariat of State Intelligence knew about the drug trafficking.

The primary concerns of the Air Force as of 2010 are the establishment of a radar network for control of the country's airspace, the replacement of its older combat aircraft (Mirage III, Mirage V) and the incorporation of new technologies. The possibility of purchasing surplus French Air Force Mirage 2000C fighters, like the option chosen by the Brazilian Air Force, has been considered.

Since the 1990s the FAA has established good relations with its neighbours, the Brazilian and Chilean Air Forces. They annually meet, on a rotation basis, in the joint exercises Cruzex in Brazil, Ceibo in Argentina and Salitre in Chile.

C-130s at 2010 Air Fest show

In 2007 an FAA FMA IA 58 Pucará was converted to use a modified engine operating on soy-derived bio-jet fuel. The project, financed and directed by the Argentine Government (Secretaría de Ciencia Tecnología e Innovación Productiva de la Nación), made Argentina the second nation in the world to propel an aircraft with biojet fuel. The purpose of the project is to make the FAA less reliant on fossil fuels.

As of 2010 budgetary constraints continued, leading to the disbanding of the Boeing 707 transport squadron and maintenance problems for half of the C-130 Hercules fleet. This was particularly evident when, in a matter of days in March of that year, the same C-130 aircraft could be seen, in addition to their routine missions, traveling 3 to times to Haiti, 9 times to Chile (in both cases delivering humanitarian aid) and also doing a resupply airdrop to the Argentine southernmost Antarctic base Belgrano II.

In August 2010 a contract was signed for two Mi-17E helicopters, plus an option on a further three, to support Antarctic bases [12][13] although no official destination form them have been release yet and is possible that they will be assigned to the Argentine Army Aviation.

Organization

The Argentine Air Force is one of the three branches of the Argentine military, having equal status with the Army and the Navy. The President of Argentina is Commander-in-Chief of all three services.

The Air Force is headed by the Chief of the General Staff (Jefe del Estado Mayor General), directly appointed and removed by the President. The Air Force Chief of Staff usually holds the rank of Brigadier General, the highest rank of the Air Force. The Chief of Staff is seconded by a Deputy Chief of the General Staff and three senior officers in charge of the Air Force's three Commands: the Air Operations Command, the Personnel Command and the Materiel Command.

The Air Operations Command (Comando de Operaciones Aéreas) is the branch of the Air Force responsible for aerospace defense, air operations, planning, training, technical and logistical support of the air units. Subordinate to the Air Operations Command are the Air Brigades (Brigadas Aéreas), the Air Force's major operative units. A total of eight Air Brigades are currently operational. Brigades are headquartered at Military Air Bases (Base Aérea Militar (BAMs).

Each Air Brigade is made up of three Groups, each bearing the same number as their mother Brigade. These groups include:

  • One Air Group (Grupo Aéreo), which operates the aircraft assigned to the Brigade. The Air Group is divided into a variable number of Air Squadrons. Air Groups may be named according to their primary mission, for example an air group specialized in fighter operations receives the designation of Fighter Group (Grupo de Caza). Currently the Air Force includes three Fighter Groups (4th, 5th and 6th), one Attack Group (3rd), one Transport Group (1st) and three plain Air Groups (2nd, 7th and 9th). The 7th Air Group operates all the helicopters of the Air Force, while the 2nd includes a small reconnaissance unit as well as light transport aircraft. 9th Air Group is a light transport unit.
  • One Technical Group (Grupo Técnico), in charge of the maintenance and repair of the Brigade's aircraft.
  • One Base Group (Grupo Base), responsible for the air base itself, weather forecasting, flight control, runway maintenance, etc. Base Groups also include Base Flights (Escuadrillas de Base), generally made up of two or three liaison aircraft.

The Personnel Command (Comando de Personal) is responsible for the training, education, assignment and welfare of Air Force personnel. Under the control of the Personnel Command are the Military Aviation School (which educates the future officers of the Air Force), the Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) School and other educational and training units.

The Materiel Command (Comando de Material) deals with planning and executing the Air Force's logistics regarding flying and ground materiel. Materiel Command includes "Quilmes" and "Río Cuarto" Materiel Areas (repairing and maintenance units) and "El Palomar" Logistical Area.

Ranks

Officers

Officers wear their rank insignia in their sleeves, in the pattern depicted below. There are also shoulderboards with the same insignia (albeit in gray) for the ranks between Ensign and Commodore. General officers wear different shoulder boards.

Insignia Equivalent NATO Rank Code Rank in Spanish Rank in English Commonwealth equivalent US Air Force equivalent
OF8 / OF-9 Brigadier General Brigadier General Air Marshal or Air Chief Marshal Lieutenant General or General
OF-7 Brigadier Mayor Brigadier-Major Air Vice-Marshal Major General
OF-6 Brigadier Brigadier Air Commodore Brigadier General
OF-5 Comodoro Commodore Group Captain Colonel
OF-4 Vicecomodoro Vice-Commodore Wing Commander Lieutenant Colonel
OF-3 Mayor Major Squadron Leader Major
OF-2 Capitán Captain Flight Lieutenant Captain
OF-1 Primer Teniente First Lieutenant Flying Officer First Lieutenant
OF-1 Teniente Lieutenant Pilot Officer Second Lieutenant
OF-D Alférez Ensign Acting Pilot Officer

Enlisted personnel and Non-Commissioned Officers

Insignia Rank in Spanish Rank in English US Air Force equivalent
Suboficial Mayor Sub-Officer Major Chief Master Sergeant,
Command Chief Master Sergeant
Suboficial Principal Principal Sub-Officer Senior Master Sergeant
Suboficial Ayudante Staff Sub-Officer or Adjutant Sub-Officer Master Sergeant
Suboficial Auxiliar Auxiliary Sub-Officer Technical Sergeant
Cabo Principal Principal Corporal Staff Sergeant
Cabo Primero Corporal First Class Senior Airman
Cabo Corporal Airman First Class
Voluntario Primero Volunteer First Class Airman
Voluntario Segundo Volunteer Second Class Airman Basic

Order of battle

A-4AR (Fightinghawk) ground-attack aircraft.
IAI Finger at Tandil AFB
Saab 340 for use by LADE
KC-130H tactical transport aircraft of the Argentine Air Force.
IA-58A counter-insurgency aircraft on display.
File:OA-4AR C901 CLOFTING IMG 6720+ jpg.jpg
OA-4AR ground-attack aircraft showing under-wing pylons.
IAI Finger (Dagger)
FMA Pampa trainer aircraft.
  1. 1st Air Transport Squadron (C-130 Hercules)
  2. 2nd Air Transport Squadron (Fokker F-28)
  1. 2nd Reconnaissance Squadron (Learjet 35A)
  2. 4th Air Transport Squadron (Fokker F-27)
  1. 2nd Attack Squadron (IA-58A Pucara)
  2. 3rd Attack Squadron (IA-58A Pucara)
  1. 1st Training Squadron (Lockheed Martin AT-63 Pampa serie 2)
  2. 3rd Search and Rescue Squadron (SA-315B Lama)
  3. 4th Cruz del Sur Aerobatics Squadron (Su-29)
  4. Fighter School
  1. 1st Fighter-Bomber Squadron (A-4AR Fightinghawk)
  2. 2nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron (A-4AR Fightinghawk)
  1. 1st Fighter-Bomber Squadron (AMD Mirage 5P Mara)
  2. 2nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron (IAI Finger)
  3. 3rd Air Interceptor Squadron (AMD Mirage IIIEA/DA)
  1. 1st Search and Rescue Squadron (Bell 212)
  2. 2nd Tactical Squadron (Hughes 500D)
  3. 3rd Squadron (UH-1H)
  4. 4th Squadron (UH-1H, Hughes 500E)
  1. 6th Air Transport Squadron (SAAB 340B)
  2. 7th Air Transport Squadron (DHC-6 Twin Otter)
  1. Glider Flight
  2. Services Squadron
  3. Mentor Squadron (Mentor B-45)
  4. Tucano Squadron (Embraer EMB-312 Tucano)

Aircraft inventory

See also: List of aircraft of the Argentine Air Force

The FAA operates 243 aircraft of various types. This includes 22 fighter aircraft and 41 ground-attack aircraft. In addition the FAA has 34 turboprop aircraft used for Counter-insurgency and close air support missions. Figures are taken from the International Institute for Strategic Studies.[14]

Aircraft Origin Type Versions Quantity Notes
Fixed-wing aircraft
Lockheed C-130 Hercules  United States Aerial refueling
Tactical transport
Tactical transport 		KC-130H
C-130B
C-130H 		2
3
5 		The 5 C-130Hs will be modernized.
Sukhoi Su-29  Russia Aerobatic aircraft Su-29 8
Saab-340  Sweden Airliner Saab-340B 4
FMA IA 58 Pucará  Argentina Counter-insurgency aircraft IA-58A 34 Turboprop aircraft. 30 will be upgraded.
IAI Dagger (IAI Finger)  Israel Fighter aircraft A
B 		11
3 		Developed from Dassault Mirage 5.
Dassault Mirage 5  France Ground-attack M-5PA 7
A-4AR Fightinghawk  United States Ground-attack A-4AR
OA-4AR 		34
Dassault Mirage III  France Interceptor aircraft IIIEA
IIIDA 		7
1
Embraer Tucano  Brazil Trainer aircraft EMB-312 25 6 are on lease from Brazil.
Beechcraft T-34 Mentor  United States Trainer aircraft B-45 24
FMA IA 63 Pampa  Argentina Trainer aircraft AT-63 18 40 more trainers on order, 28 for the air force and 12 for the navy.[15]
Learjet 35  United States Utility transport 35A 5
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter  Canada Utility transport DHC-6-200 8
Fokker F27 Friendship  Netherlands Utility transport F27 variants 4
Fokker F28 Fellowship  Netherlands Utility transport F28 variants 6
Learjet 60  United States VIP transport 1
Helicopters
Hughes 369  United States Reconnaissance
Support helicopter 		15
Aérospatiale SA 315 Lama  France Search and rescue SA 315B 3
Bell 212 Twin Huey  United States Utility helicopter 6 2 more Bell 412 on negotiation.
Mil Mi-17 Template:Russia Utility helicopter Mi-171E 2 3 more on order.
MD/RACA MD 500 Defender  United States Utility helicopter
Training helicopter 		500D 4
3

Chiefs of the Argentine Air Force

Commanders of the Army Military Aviation (1912–1919)

  • Colonel Arenales Uriburu (1912–1915)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Alejandro P. Obligado (1915–1919)

Commanders of the Army Aeronautical Service (1919–1927)

  • Lieutenant Colonel Alejandro P. Obligado (1919–1920)
  • Colonel Enrique Mosconi (1920–1922)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Jorge B. Crespo (1923)
  • Colonel Luis A. Cassinelli (1923–1927)

Commanders of the General Directorate of Aeronautics (1927–1941)

  • Colonel Luis A. Cassinelli (1927–1929)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Jorge B. Crespo (1929–1930)
  • Colonel Angel M. Zuloaga (1941)

Commanders of the First Air Division (1936)

  • Brigadier General (Army) A. Verdaguer (1936)

Commanders of the Army Air Forces (1936–1939)

  • Brigadier General (Army) A. Verdaguer (1936–1939)

Commanders of the Army Aviation Command (1938–1944)

  • Colonel Antonio Parodi (1938–1941)
  • Colonel Angel M. Zuloaga (1941)
  • Colonel Pedro Zanni (1941–1942)
  • Brigadier General (Army) Jorge J. Manni (1942–1944)

Commanders-in-Chief of the Aeronáutica (1944)

  • Brigadier General (Army) Bartolomé de la Colina (1944)

Commanders of the Argentine Air Force (1945–1947)

  • Brigadier Edmundo Sustaita (1945)
  • Brigadier General Oscar Muratorio (1945)
  • Brigadier P. Castex Lainford (1945–1946)
  • Brigadier General Oscar Muratorio (1946–1947)

Commanders-in-Chief of the Argentine Air Force (1947–1973)

  • Brigadier General Oscar Muratorio (1947–1951)
  • Brigadier General Hermansson (1951–1952)
  • Brigadier General Carlos Mauriño (1952–1955)
  • Brigadier General Juan Fabri (1955)
  • Brigadier General Hermansson (1955–1956)
  • Brigadier General Heriberto Ahrens (1956–1957)
  • Brigadier General Guillermo Zinny (1957)
  • Brigadier General Angel A. Peluffo (1957)
  • Brigadier General Alfredo Vedoya (1957–1958)
  • Brigadier Miguel Moragues (1958)
  • Brigadier General Manuel L. Aleman (1958–1960)
  • Brigadier General Cayo Alsina (1960–1962)
  • Brigadier General Carlos Armanini (1962–1966)
  • Brigadier General Adolfo Alvarez (1966–1968)
  • Brigadier General Martinez Zuviría (1968–1970)
  • Brigadier General Carlos A. Rey (1970–1973)
  • Brigadier General Hector Fautario (1973)

General Commanders of the Argentine Air Force (1973–1976)

Commanders-in-Chief of the Argentine Air Force (1976–1983)

Chiefs of the General Staff of the Argentine Air Force (1983–present)

  • Brigadier General Teodoro Waldner (1983–1985)
  • Brigadier General Ernesto Crespo (1985–1989)
  • Brigadier General José A. Julia (1989–1993)
  • Brigadier General Juan Paulik (1993–1996)
  • Brigadier General Rubén Montenegro (1996–1999)
  • Brigadier General Walter Barbero (1999–2003)
  • Brigadier General Carlos A. Rohde (2003–2005)
  • Brigadier General Eduardo Schiaffino (2005–2006)
  • Brigadier General Normando Costantino (2006-incumbent)

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Air force of Argentina.

Bibliography

  • International Institute for Strategic Studies; Hackett, James (ed.) (2010-02-03). The Military Balance 2010. London: Routledge. ISBN 1-85743-557-5. {{cite book}}: |author2= has generic name (help)

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ IISS 2010, pp. 64–67
  3. ^ R. Schnitzler, G.W. Feuchter, R. Schulz (Eds.): Handbuch der Luftfahrt (Manual of Aviation). Jahrgang 1939. p. 13. J.F. Lehmanns Verlag, München & Berlin
  4. ^ C-47 en la Fuerza Aerea Argentina
  5. ^ 40 aniversario
  6. ^ TodaLaAviation.blogspot.com
  7. ^ Marambio Station on the webpage of the French Polar Teams.
  8. ^ Aniversario aéreo en la Antártida
  9. ^ Twin Otter picture
  10. ^ FAA site:United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP)
  11. ^ Helis.com Database
  12. ^ Argentina formaliza la compra de cinco MI-17
  13. ^ Iniciativa para reequipar a las FF.AA.
  14. ^ IISS 2010, pp. 64–67
  15. ^ http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/argentina-to-buy-40-more-pampas-362327/

External links

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